And clark balcom



(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1f W. M. DUCKEIL G01N GONTROLLBD MACHINE. Y

No. 499,453. Patented June 13, i1893.

WITNESSES:

63% By mamey.

(No Model.) v2 sheets-sheen 2. W. M. DUCKER. vGOIN GONTROLLED MAGHINE.-

19m-499,453. PatentedJ'nne 1s, 1893.

' "umn" ab /Y llL INVENTOR:

`ttorney.

WITN-ESSES: @Z22/Of@ normal positions.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. DUOKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HENRY D. DUMONT, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND CLARK BALCOM, TRUSTEE,

OF METUCHEN, NEW JERSEY.

c'olN-coNTRoLLED MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,453, dated June 13, 1893.

Application filed October 14, 1892. Serial No. 448,866. (No model.)

.T0 all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. DUCKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to coin-controlled or slot machines of the class wherein the coin becomes, for the time being a part of the operative mechanism of the machine.

The object of the invention is to produce a machine of simple and cheap construction which shall possess all the requirements of a machine for the purpose. By constructing the-machine of few parts, economy and durability are attained and the machine is not liable to get out of order from constant use.

The main characteristic features of the machine are the means whereby the coin is released at the proper moment, and the means whereby the robbing of the machine by the use of washers and the like in lieu of coins, is prevented.

The invention will be fully described hereinafter and its novel features carefully delined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein my invention is shown embodied in a vending machina-Figure l, is a side elevation of the machine, the parts being represented in their This view shows the lefthand side of the machine. Fig. 2 is a vertical, axial, longitudinal section of the machine, the parts being represented as they will be at the moment the coin is released. Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken in the broken plane indicated by the line 3, 3, in`Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on line 4, 4, in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating some alternative detailsof the construction.

Iwill now proceed to describev the machine more minutely, premising that the embodiment illustrated herein is adapted for vending small articles, such as chewing gum, chocolate, &c., the bottom cake or piece in the pile being pushed out and allowed to fall by gravity down an incline to the delivery aperture whenever a coin of the proper kind is dropped into the slot and lodged between the end of a spring-retracted plunger and a tubular springretracted operating slide, and the said plunger is pushed in to its full extent. lf the plunger be pushed in when there is no coin in front of it, the slender operating extremity of the plunger will enter the hollow operating slide and the delivery mechanism will not be actuated. Ordinarily one, two, or more of these machines will be mounted side by side in a wooden casing, in which there will be a drawer below to receive the inserted coins and the usual compartments above, over the delivery mechanisms, for the articles to be d elivered. These features are common in this general class of Vending machines and I have not deemed it necessary to illustrate them herein.

Referring primarily to the lirst four figures of the drawings, a is a simple frame, which maybe of cast iron and in the top-plate of which is formed the slot-,00, whereat the coin is inserted. In pendants ax of the frame isv mounted a tubular or partly tubular operating slide, b, which I prefer, for economy, to make from piping or tubing. This slide is held in its normal position (as in Fig. l) by means of asimple coil spring c, embracing it, said spring bearing at its forward end against across-pin', bx, in the slide; this pin also serves as a limiting stop byits impingement against one of the pendants ax. Fixed to the front end of the frame a, is a tubular guide cl, aligned with the slide b; and extending 'through the guide d, is the plunger e, provided with a retracting spring f (seen in Fig. 2), coiled about it within the guide d. The plunger has a head orbutton ou its outer end, and at its inner, operative end it is reduced in diameter for a part of its length, as seen inv Fig. 2.

there is a'space between' the opposed ends of the slide b and fixed guide d which forms a coin-pocket directly below the slot the Coin .9e When the parts are at rest as in Fig. 1,

being prevented from falling down through,

when inserted at the slot, by means of a thin coin-supporting plate, g, which is cut out as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, so as to form a bottom and sides to the pocket. I prefer to make this coin-support g from thin metal plate, and

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to make the space between the ends of the slide b and guide d a little greater than the thickness of the coin used, whereby a coin of the proper thickness will be caught in the pocket, but a disk of thin metal, as tin-plate, will pass by the coin-support and not lodge in the pocket. This will prevent such disks from being used to rob the machine.

Mounted on the top-plate of the frame a., is the delivery mechanism. This consists of a guide-way, h, secured to an elevated part, a', of the frame, and an apertured delivery slide, t', mounted to play to and fro between the raised sides of the guideway. In these latter are guide slots hx, which are engaged by pins z'x, on the edges of the delivery slide. The operating slide b is coupled at its :rear end to the delivery slide through the medium of a lever j, fulcrumed atjx, on the frame, and two links 7c and kx.

So far as described the operation is as follows: When a coin of the proper 'kind is dropped into the slot it lodges in the pocket in front of the plunger. If the plunger be now pushed in the coin will connect the plunger and operating slide and the latter will be carried back with the plunger thus operating, through the leverj, to drive the delivery slide il forward and deliver the piece of gum, or Whatever the article may be, which slides down the inclined face of the elevated part, a', of the frame. On the removal of pressure from the plunger, the latter and the operating slide will be retracted by their respective springs; but the coin would remain clamped between the operating slide and the plunger unless means were provided for releasing it, and the mechanism I employ for the purpose will now be described.

It is important, if not absolutely essential to the security and protection of the machine that the coin shall be released and fall into the till before the article purchased by it is actually delivered, or at least simultaneously with such delivery. To effect this, I provide a means whereby the operating slide b, after the plunger shall have been pushed part of the Way in, will be connected with the plunger by an auxiliary accelerating device, Whereby the speed of the slide is finally increased beyond that ot' the plunger and the grip or pressure is thus taken olf the coin, which is released and falls by gravity into the till a moment before the delivery slide is advanced far enough to effect the delivery of the article sold. I will describe this coin-releasing device or mechanism.

Pivotally mounted at y, on the operating slide b, is a jointed latch, Z, Zx. Normally the part Z of this latch rests on a stud-roller, m, on the frame, and the part Zx, which is jointed to the part Z hangs down at an incline. On the plunger is a stud-roller n, the stud of which plays in a slot, cZx, in the guide d when the plunger moves to and fro. Now if the plunger be pushed in when there is no coin in the coin-pocket, its inner end will enter the hollow in the operating slide b, without imparting any movement to the latter, and the studroller n will move in a path above the level of the inclined part, Zx, of the latch. But if a proper coin be inserted in the pocket and the plunger be pushed in, the operating slide b will move back,earrying with it the jointed latch, and as the part Zx thereof comes to be drawn over the studroller m, the free end of this part of the latch will be thrown up into the path of the stud-roller n, carried by the plunger, and an inclined face, Z', on the latch will be forced, by the upward movement of the latter, against the roller n, whereby the latch acts as a wedge, or with a wedging effect,between the roller n on the plunger and the pivot screw, y, on the slide b, to wedge or force them apart a moment before the plunger reaches the limit of its inward traveL-that is, a moment before the delivery is effected-and release the coin z and let it fall into the locked till or receptacle below. In Fig. 2 the coin is seen falling. The plunger may be pushed in until its head strikes the outer end or face of the guide d. The roller fm, or a pin or stud of some kind to raise the latch, is essential to the operation of the latter. In order to avoid obscuring the parts behind it I have omitted from Fig. l the pendent part a2 of the frame on which the stud m is mounted, but this feature is clearly seen in the transverse sections, Figs. 3 and 4. As the lateral strain on the stud bearing the roller n is considerable, said stud may be provided with a roller or rolling sleeve where it plays in the slot (ZX, as seen in the transverse section Fig. 1l. This sleeve will reduce the friction.

In the principal ligures the leverj, is shown; the object of this interposed lever is to cause the delivery slide t' to move forward in delivering, or in the opposite direction tothe plunger. But this lever is not necessary; the delivery slide may be connected rigidly to the operating slide b, and move inward or backward with said slide when delivering. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the delivery slide t' is shown as rigidly connected to the operating slide by an n pri ght b'. The article delivered falls on an inclined plane, t', which delivers it in front. l

In Fig. 5 I have also illustrated another form of the'latch. The latch Z Zx of the principal gures is jointed, but good results may be obtained with the rigid latch, Z2, seen in Fig. 5. This latch has nearly the same angular form as the jointed latch seen in Fig. 1, but does not, of course, straighten out when the operating slide is pushed back.

In the principal figures the operating slide Z) is represented as formed of a plain piece of cylindrical tubing, and this I believe to be the most economical form; but this form is not essential to my invention. In Fig. 5 I have shown the front or forward end of this slide constructed of tubing and the rearpart, whirh is mounted in guides, is in the form of a ro IOO ITO

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The guide-way h, and the delivery slide t', mounted therein, are, as herein shown removable. This construction adapts the machine for the vending of articles of dierent sizes by substitution of the delivery mechanism.

It is a common practice to employ common washers of about the proper size and thickness, in lieu of coins, to rob the machine. In my machine this is prevented as the slender plunger will pass through the aperture in the Washer and the delivering mechanism will not be operated.

The Wedging latch as herein shown is arranged to rest on the roller stud m, and falls by gravity out of the path of the roller stud n; if the latch and stud m were inverted in position, the stud being above the latch, the free end of the latter would have to be upheld by a spring. By utilizing gravity, and mounting the latch loosely on its pivot y, the use of a spring is avoided.

Although herein shown as applied to a machine for vending articles, the machine, or the operative mechanismthereof, may be applied to other kinds of slot machines.

The instrumentalities described may be Varied somewhat without departing materially from my invention; as for example the roller studs m and n may be merely studs or projecting parts. The rollers are merely for lessening the friction.

The plunger may carry at its front end, where it is adapted to enter the hollow' operating slide, a disk of rubber, o, fixed in posi-v tion on it as seen in Fig. 2. This disk will be forced through the aperture on the Washer, if one be dropped in the coin-pocket, and on the retraction of the plunger the disk will engage the washer and draw the latter back with it.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a plunger and an operating slide adapted to be connected by an inserted coin, of a Wedging latch pivoted at y to the operating slide, and means substantially as described for automatically forcing said Wedgin g latch laterally between the pivot y and a laterally projecting part of the plunger When the plunger and slide move back together, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a plunger and an operating slide adapted to be connected therewith by an inserted coin, of automatic means for wedging apart the said plunger and slide longitudinally so as to release the coin, said means compris'- ing a Wedging latch, pivotally attached to the operating slide and having an inclined face at its free end, a stud n, carried by the plunger, and means substantially as described for moving' the free end of `the latch into and across the path of the stud n when the plunger forces back the operating slide.

3. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a plunger and an operating slide adapted to be connected with the plunger by an inserted coin, of automatic means for wedging apart the plunger and slide longitudinally so as to release the coin', said means comprising a jointed latch pivoted to the operating slide and having an inclined face at its free end, a stud n on the plunger, and a stud m, fixed in position and situated, normally under that portion of the latch which is pivoted to the slide, whereby, when the plunger forces l back said slide the free, jointed portion, ZX, of the latch will be drawn over and forced upward by the stud m into the path of the stud n, and the inclined face thereon is caused to impinge on the said stud, n, as set forth.

4. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a plunger and an operating slide adapted to be connected together by an inserted coin, of a jointed wedging latch comprising the part Z, pivotally secured at y to the operating slide, and the part ZX, jointed to the part Z, and having an inclined face Z the stud m, which supports the partll of the latch normally, and the laterally projecting stud n on the plunger, the part Z of the latch being normally below the path of thetstud n, all. oper ating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with a plunger e, having a slender operating extremity and an operating slide b, having in it a hollow capable of receiving the plunger which is aligned with it, said plunger and slide being adapted for connection by an inserted coin, and a fixed coin-support, g, formed of material thinner than the coin for which the machine is adapted, substantially as shown and specified. v

6. In a coin-controlled machine, the combination with the spring retracted operating slide, a coin-support below the coin-slot, and the plunger guide of the spring-retracted plunger provided near its operative end with a disk o of rubber, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. l

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM M. DUCKER.

Witnesses:

HERBERT BLossoM, JAS; KING DUFFY.

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